[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 85 (Wednesday, June 18, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5941-S5942]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       WENDY GRAMM'S GRADUATION SPEECH GIVEN AT TRI STATE COLLEGE

 Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I ask to have printed in the 
Record a graduation speech given by Wendy Gramm at Tri-State College. I 
think it is an inspirational message to young people. Wendy, while very 
accomplished in her own right, is also the wife of Senator Phil Gramm. 
While this speech is about a significant man in her life, she recalled 
stories about her father, not her husband.
  The central message of the speech is drawn from the personal 
experiences of three generations of Wendy Gramm's family. Mrs. Gramms' 
father graduated from this institution of higher learning with a degree 
in engineering.
  During this commencement, Wendy was awarded an honorary doctorate 
degree from her father's alma mater. In her speech, Wendy talked about 
the traits that made her father successful. Mrs. Gramm's point is that 
these same traits can make the graduating class a success. These traits 
include: define goals, work hard, show leadership, practice the highest 
standard of ethics.
  Wendy Gramm gave the students her definition of what makes a leader: 
``Leaders lead by example, and must show honesty and fairness always.''
  The text of the speech follows:

       Congratulations to graduates, parents, teachers, relatives 
     and friends. You've done it and you deserve congratulations.
       All too often we work so hard, focused on where we are 
     going, and fail to stop and enjoy what we've accomplished. 
     You've heard it before--and it's true--life is not a 
     destination, but a trainride, so enjoy the ride. Enjoy your 
     accomplishments today. Pat yourself on the back. And take 
     time to thank those who helped you.
       This is a special day for you--and for me, too. I will 
     celebrate receiving this honorary degree--and will make 
     everyone call me doctor-doctor for today. Today is also 
     special because my father graduated from TriState, 61 years 
     ago. My mom is here, as well as much of my family--my 
     husband, one son (the other is studying for exams), and two 
     sisters and a brother-in-law.
       Let me tell you his story, because I believe his story has 
     lessons for all of us today. The stories also illustrate what 
     I believe are essential qualities of leadership and rules for 
     a full, happy, and successful life.
       My grandparents came from Korea at the beginning of the 
     century to work in the sugar cane fields of Hawaii. They came 
     as contract laborers, meaning they paid for their way over by 
     agreeing to work in the sugar cane fields for a number of 
     years--new indentured laborers. They came with nothing, not 
     even knowing the language. They came looking for freedom and 
     opportunity.
       My father, Joshua, was the second in a family of 12 
     children.
       The first story is about having dreams and goals in life. 
     When my father was in high school, there was an essay 
     contest--students were asked to write an essay about what 
     they could do to make this a better country. Dad thought and 
     thought, as the minutes ticked by and the blank page stared 
     up at him (you know the feeling). He wondered, what could a 
     beach bum like Joe Lee do that would affect a whole country? 
     The answer came to him in the middle of that contest--he 
     could do the most for his country if he made something of 
     himself.
       He won the contest and $25, a small fortune in the early 
     1930s.
       The essay contest helped define his goals in life, and he 
     decided to pursue his dream--of becoming an engineer and 
     making something of himself. He started college at the 
     University of Hawaii, but ran out of money. So he worked in a 
     laundry.
       The next summer a classmate of his told him he was going to 
     Tri-State College to study engineering. My grandmother told 
     my father--I'll give you money for transportation to 
     Indiana--the rest is up to you.
       Dad set a goal, and worked hard--to find a way to reach the 
     goal. A second important quality for success is commitment to 
     a goal. And dad was committed. Upon arriving in Angola, he 
     lived first few days on day old bread and pork and beans--
     still loved p&b.
       He found room and board in the home of the postmistress in 
     town, and helped in the yard and tended the furnace. She was 
     a kind a gracious lady, and dad couldn't believe it when he 
     visited her 25 years later in 1950. She looked exactly the 
     same!
       The first job he applied for was at a restaurant. The 
     restaurant owner told dad that he was thinking of getting a 
     dishwashing machine. My dad said he could wash dishes faster 
     and better than the new dishwashing machine--he would race 
     the machine for the job. My father won the race and the job.
       He worked his way through Tri-State, generally holding 
     three jobs at the same time, working in two restaurants, as a 
     tree surgeon and painting trim on houses, along with his 
     furnace tending and yard work.
       The third important quality for leadership and success is 
     my favorite story about Tri-State. Dad had gone to class 
     where they went over a test they had taken. During the class, 
     Dad realized that the professor had made a mistake and had 
     given him a higher grade than he deserved. So we went up to 
     the professor after class and told him of the error. The 
     professor then said that he had deliberately made mistakes on 
     all the students' tests, and Dad was the only student who 
     came up to him and admitted it. I don't remember the punch 
     line--I believe the professor gave Dad an A for the test--but 
     the punch line isn't important. What is important is that Dad 
     had the highest standards of ethics.
       Perhaps the most important quality of a leader is the 
     highest level of integrity--leaders lead by example, and so 
     must show honesty and fairness always.
       Regrets? Not having gone to a big 10 football game. 
     Remember what I said earlier about enjoying your day, and the 
     train ride.

[[Page S5942]]

       Dad lived his life like the engineer he was--organized, 
     efficient, prepared, never procrastinating, and finishing 
     each job on time or before.
       He moved back to Hawaii after graduating in 1936, and met 
     Angeline Lee (Lee is a common name in Hawaii). He arranged a 
     date--and, like the engineer he was, showed up for the date 
     one week early. But mom liked him anyway, and they got 
     married, had four children, and Dad died shortly after his 
     50th wedding anniversary.
       The principles he lived by--don't brag, just do a good job, 
     and rewards will come; be prepared and organized and just go 
     ahead and do the job; be fair and honest. These principles 
     and the leadership qualities he exhibited--vision, commitment 
     and integrity--worked well for him--he became the first Asian 
     American ever to be an officer of a sugar company in the 
     history of Hawaii.
       Recap: my grandfathers cut sugar cane by hand, my father 
     became VP of the same sugar company, and when I chaired the 
     Commodity Futures Trading Commission Presidents Reagan and 
     Bush liked to point out that I oversaw the futures trading of 
     all American commodities, including cane sugar.
       This is the American Dream.
       The story I have told you is not just the story of my 
     family, Tri-State University, or leadership. It is not the 
     story of an extraordinary family, but the story of an 
     ordinary family in an extraordinary country.
       It is the story of America, where ordinary people can and 
     do accomplish extraordinary things.
       So congratulations once again. I wish you good luck and 
     every success.
       As you go out into the world, remember this day. Remember 
     your accomplishment. I also hope you will remember my family, 
     the American Dream, and Tri-State's role is making that 
     American Dream for our family and for me.
       I also hope that you will come to appreciate that great 
     American Dream Machine--freedom and free enterprise--and that 
     you will work to preserve and protect it so that the Joshua 
     Lees of tomorrow can have a dream, maybe come to Tri-State, 
     and go on to be a success, a leader, and make better lives 
     for themselves, their families, their communities, and their 
     country.
       And may you do the same and have great success and 
     happiness.

                          ____________________